Man of Action
by NinjaNovelist
Summary: A few select scenes in ATSD from Ferb's POV
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all, this is my first P and F fanfic. So the reason why I'm writing this is that as much as I loved the movie, I was a bit bothered that the main focus was on the relationship between Phineas and Perry, and Ferb was kinda pushed to the side. So this is what I think might've been going on in the head of the Man of Few Words.**

A lot can happen in a day.

Ferb Fletcher is aware of this fact more than anyone else. After all, each rising sun means the promise of a whole new adventure when you're the stepbrother of Phineas Flynn.

Currently, the green-haired youth was whizzing through the air on a jumbo badminton shuttlecock. Just another typical day.

"Ferb!" the short redhead beside him cried out. "It looks like we're going to hit that building that looks vaguely like your head!"

No one but Phineas could calmly make an observation like that while staring in the face of potentially mortal peril.

Fortunately, their fall was broken by some large device sitting on the penthouse balcony. They just barely avoided hitting the person working on the machine, who appeared to be a... German pharmacist?

"All right, what's up with the giant shuttlecock?" the man demanded as he approached the young pilots.

Cue the apologies and introductions of themselves to the stranger. All dictated by Phineas of course, but Ferb didn't mind. The former does the talking, the latter the doing. That was how their relationship worked.

One thing led to another, and Ferb found himself helping the man, who called himself Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, with fixing his Other-Dimensionator (why a pharmacist needed such a thing, he could only guess). Ferb questioned his brother's willingness to assist someone they barely knew, but as per usual, he said nothing. While he wasn't always in line with Phineas' way of thinking, Ferb trusted him with his life.

When the repair was nearing its end, Ferb boosted his brother up so he could install the final piece. He was just about to do so when some unseen commotion coming from behind caused Phineas to glance back.

"Oh, there you are, Perry," the boy said brightly.

Sure enough, there stood their aquamarine platypus, chattering away. As he and Phineas rushed to greet their pet, Ferb decided to push the mystery of how the mindless creature made it to the top of a forty-story building out of his mind. Perry had a tendency to show up in the strangest places.

Dr. Doofenshmirtz seemed surprised to see the semi-aquatic mammal as well. "Is _every _platypus named Perry?"

How many beaver-tailed, duck-billed animals with that name could there be in the tri-state area?

As oblivious as ever, Phineas replied, "In a perfect world, yes."

This answer appeared to satisfy the scientist. "Aww, well he's a cute little fella. Hi, there! Gootchie- OW, OW, OW!"

"Perry, no!" Phineas admonished as the boys disconnected Perry's mouth from the man's finger. "We do not bite the elderly!"

"Again- ow," an offended Doofenshmirtz said. "No, it's okay. Platypuses don't typically like me."

For the next several minutes, the three humans found themselves subject to a very tedious cycle: they would be on the verge of finishing the machine when Perry would start acting up, from stealing the missing piece to peeing on the sofa, thus interrupting its completion.

This was extremely unusual for Perry; he hadn't misbehaved like this since he was a mere platypup. Ferb could tell that Phineas noticed this as well, but was probably dismissing it as being unaccustomed to the new surroundings or something. But Ferb was not so easily convinced.

"I'm sorry, Dr. D," Phineas apologized. "We should take him outside."

"No, no, it's all right," the scientist answered. "I was planning on replacing this old couch anyway. Now come on, let's light this popsicle stand... or however the saying goes."

So Ferb was left holding Perry while Doofenshmirtz picked up Phineas to at last insert the missing piece.

"You know, it's kinda weird," the doctor reflected. "I'm usually thwarted by this point. Huh, I guess he's not coming."

Thwarted? Why would someone have the need to-

But before Ferb could wonder any further, the machine began starting up.

"And now," Doofenshmirtz announce dramatically. "The mind-blowing first images from beyond our dimensional reality!"

Ever breath (including Perry's) hitched as bright green light spilled out of the Other-Dimensionator, forming a sphere that served as a window to look upon... a couch.

After Doofenshmirtz got over the disappointment of his less-than-climactic achievement, he attempted to switch the much nicer sofa with his old soiled one. For the first time, Ferb sensed that Phineas was starting to doubt the man's character. There were countless things that his brother wanted to do before their summer vacation was up, but engaging in criminal activity certainly wasn't one of them.

So the two boys simply looked on, unsure of what to do, until Phineas' attention (which despite his intelligence could never focus on one thing for too long) was diverted by something in the distance. Always in search for anything of interest, he quickly went to investigate as Ferb trailed behind.

"Hey Dr. D, look at this!" Phineas called. "You're famous here."

That was the understatement of the century, no matter what dimension they were in. Both the man's name and face was found wherever they looked.

The doctor's eyes became drawn upwards, towards a blimp passing in the sky. "Heinz Doofenshmirtz," he read. "Your leader?"

He must have imagined it, but Ferb could've sworn he heard a nervous gulp erupt from the platypus in his arms.

While Doofenshmirtz left to berate the white-mustached secretary inside, Phineas and Ferb continued to marvel at the sight.

"I'd say he's done pretty well for himself," the former commented. "What do you think Perry?"

Whenever the boys addressed their pet, he would always respond immediately, like he could actually understand them. But this time, Perry paused, almost as though in hesitation, before chattering his approval. Odd.

"Hey where is Dr. D?" asked Phineas.

Ferb simply pointed through the door.

And so the two approached the front desk to ask for the whereabouts of their new friend. The man there was at first adamantly against admitting them without an appointment. But all it took was for Phineas to explain their situation and connections with the tri-state area ruler, along with flattering on the secretary's handsomeness (Ferb noticed that he avoided mentioning the mono-brow) for them to be allowed to take a ride on the swivel chair amusement park ride up to the main office.

"That was awesome!" Phineas declared as they entered the room, where they were met by not one, but _two_ Dr. Doofenshmirtz's.

Their first dimension companion seemed glad to see them, but the same could not be said for his darker, more melancholy counterpart.

"You dare bring a secret agent in here?" he accused.

"This boy's a secret agent?" the first doctor asked, pointing to Phineas.

"No, no, not him," the other said irritably.

The first dimension Doofenshmirtz guessed again. "The quiet one?"

Ferb resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was never seen as the bright one, or the one who always had a witty comeback. No, he was the one who was silent in comparison with his talkative brother.

Doofenshmirtz was running out of options. "...this potted plant?"

"THE PLATYPUS!" the exasperated second Doofenshmirtz finally revealed. "That's secret agent Perry the Platypus!"

Phineas looked ready to laugh. "Hey, he's just a platypus. He doesn't do much."

It appeared that the eye-patched Doofenshmirtz was about to laugh himself. "Oh this is rich! You really think that he's your pet, don't you? Wrong! He's using you! You're just his cover. He's a secret agent!"

When he saw the skeptical faces all around, he added, "Here let me prove it. General Platyborg, come down here at once."

In rocketed a half-platypus, half-robot version of the boys' beloved Perry.

Ferb paid close attention to the Platyborg's eyes. Rather than their Perry's vacant gaze, his were in complete focus, with a certain evil gleam that revealed the intelligence just beyond them. No, it couldn't be...

"You see that platypus?" Doofenshmirtz the second said the robot. "You know what to do."

Quick as lightning, the Platyborg descended upon the poor animal and smacked him clear across the room.

Perry, of course, didn't do much.

Phineas and Ferb rushed to aid their hurting pet, leaving the two Doofenshmirtz's to argue over who was right.

"Wait, let me try something," 2nd dimension Doofenshmirtz said. "Platyborg, do the same thing to those two boys."

Neither Phineas, nor Ferb, nor 1st dimension Doofenshmirtz knew what to do as the Platyborg reared his arm back, ready to strike the two kids.

Perry, however, did.

Standing upright on his hind legs, he sent a perfect right hook straight into the face of his robot self. As the Platyborg toppled backwards, the platypus poised his body in preparation for a follow-up attack.

It was Phineas who voiced the thought that was going through both of the stunned boys' heads.

"Perry?"

**The next chapter will pick up right from where this left off, but after that I may skip around a little bit. There will most likely be five chapters total. Hope you liked it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**It just occurred to me that I forgot to write a disclaimer. So here goes:**

**Do I own Phineas and Ferb? No, no I don't.**

"You're a secret agent?"

Despite the fact that at the moment they were running for their lives from robotic minions, Phineas was still having trouble moving past this revelation.

"So this is where you disappear to every day?" Phineas asked, his temper rising with each word.

Ferb wasn't used to seeing his brother like this. In all the years they had known each other, there was only one other instance in which he saw true, lasting anger in Phineas.

_They were both five years old at the time. Ferb and his dad had only been a part of the Flynn family for a few months, and he still wasn't entirely comfortable in his new life._

_It was their first day of kindergarten, and unless the teacher prompted him to do so, Ferb didn't say a word. So after school let out, a few of the kids cornered him and began to tease the new kid of whatever they could think of: his green hair, British accent, quiet demeanor- anything that set him apart from the rest._

_Ferb didn't know how to respond to their harassing until a sharp "Hey!" suddenly drew the bullies' attention away from him._

_Phineas, with a bold glare that rarely graced his face, fearlessly approached the ring leader of the tormentors._

"_Buford, leave my brother alone!"_

_Not stepbrother. Not the kid I'm stuck living with. **Brother**._

_Buford laughed cruelly. "Oh yeah, pipsqueak?" he taunted. "And who's gonna stop me?"_

_A small hand suddenly reached up and tapped his shoulder. Buford wheeled around only to be met by a roundabout kick from Ferb that would've left any martial artist drooling with envy. The bully was knocked flat onto his back._

_For a brief moment, all was still. But it wasn't long before the whole group scattered to avoid the mysterious, suddenly fearsome child._

_At that moment, they were interrupted by a beeping car horn from Mrs Flynn-Fletcher's station wagon, with a ten-year-old Candace glaring at them from the backseat._

"_Come on, Ferb!" Phineas cried, all former hints of fury now gone, as he pulled Ferb towards the car. "Mom promised she'd have pie waiting for us when when get home."_

_The pair had been inseparable ever since._

But this was different. This wasn't any noble act of standing up for someone you care about. This was pure rage, and Ferb knew why. Phineas was by nature a very trusting person, but once that trust was broken, it is near impossible to redeem.

Phineas continued to spout accusations at the platypus, each more heated than the last. Somehow through it all, an interesting discovery was made about the Doofenshmirtz they had traveled with: he was an evil scientist bent on seizing control of the tri-state area, with whom Perry fought whenever he went missing.

Obviously. Why didn't Ferb think of that?

Phineas was still having trouble grasping the concept. "So not only have you been leading a double life this whole time, but you sat there and let us help an _evil _scientist open an _evil _portal into an _evil _dimension! And you did nothing to stop us?"

Ferb's philosophy in life was not to speak unless you had something worthwhile to say. So in an attempt to reel his brother in from his rant, he spoke for the first time that day with an extremely profound statement.

"Well, he did pee on the couch."

But that still didn't satisfy Phineas. Finally, the second dimension Doofenshmirtz became bored with gleefully watching the drama unfold.

"Oh for badness' sake, you can hash all this out in prison. Guards!"

But thanks to a combination of Perry's quick thinking and some cool spy technology of his (the mechanic in Ferb made a mental note to check out all of the platypus' gear someday), they were able to avoid both the robot guards and the two Doofenshmirtzes. Next thing he knew, Ferb was hanging onto a cow skull's horn for dear life while Perry controlled the personalized parachute attached to it. This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

Phineas was beginning to calm down at last. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just having trouble processing this."

Perry handed him a piece of paper. "'So You Discovered Your Pet is a Secret Agent'... I don't want your pamphlet!"

Okay, maybe he hasn't completely settled down yet.

The ongoing argument was once again cut off when Perry the Platyborg caught up with them. Although their Perry was superior skill wise, the fact that the other possessed an outer metal layer impervious to the average platypus punch was a clear advantage.

However, that did not mean he was invulnerable of two boys trapping him in an abandoned parachute, causing him to lose his footing and fall over the ledge of the building.

"All this time we're like, 'he's a platypus, he doesn't do much'," said Phineas, continuing the previous conversation as if there had been no interruption. "Well, apparently you do! You... you're tangled up!"

The brothers dived after the platypus caught in the falling parachute strings, catching him just before he received the same fate as the Platyborg. This confirmed the suspicions Ferb had held the entire time- that as upset as Phineas was at the moment, he still truly cared for their pet.

But the battle still wasn't over. The Platyborg miraculously managed to survive the fall, and was still set out to return the outlaws to his master. The chase culminated in the trio finally escaping as two simultaneous declarations of "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!" were faintly heard from the distance.

None of them stopped running until they found a hiding spot behind a dumpster.

"Looks like they're gone," Phineas stated, beginning to relax.

Wait for it...

"You're a secret agent!"

And there it is.

Ferb's strategy with this more unfamiliar side to Phineas was to just wait it out. Eventually he would run out of steam, and maybe be able to accept this whole thing at last.

"Was that evil guy right, were we just your cover story?" a hurt Phineas continued. "Were you ever really our pet, or part of our family? Well, apparently not, 'cause you didn't trust us enough to tell us."

Then he did something Ferb thought would never happen: Phineas began using sarcasm. "Anyone else leading a bizarre double life?"

Well, since everyone else has been coming clean, maybe it would be best to mention...

"Put your hand down, Ferb," Phineas said, not even turning around.

Then again, this probably wasn't the most opportune moment.

"You're a secret agent! He's a secret agent!"

Ferb had finally had enough. Phineas had had his say, and now was the time to step in. Besides, he was beginning to notice the guilt etching itself onto Perry's face. Ferb reached over and simply placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Phineas sighed. "You're right, Ferb," he admitted. "We have to concentrate on the task at hand."

It's pretty amazing how the two can completely understand each other at a glance. This works out perfectly for Ferb, as there is often no need for him to speak. Phineas talks for the both of them.

With no way to get back to their own dimension, it was agreed to find the only people they could trust to help: themselves.

The three peeked out from behind the dumpster, checking to see if the coast was clear. Suddenly, Phineas' eyes narrowed again.

"Wait a minute," he said, addressing the platypus. "You could have been cleaning your litter box this whole time."

Unsure of how to respond to such a statement, Perry merely shrugged.

"Oh, we are not done with this conversation." And with that, Phineas ran off.

The two companions of the fuming redhead paused a moment before deciding to follow in his wake. It was apparent that Phineas wouldn't be letting this go anytime soon.


	3. Chapter 3

**Just in case you've missed the pattern, I've made it a rule to update my stories at least every Saturday. However, I just finished school on Wednesday, so the last two chapters will probably be posted a bit more quickly.**

It was a typical, normal day in one of the many bleak neighborhoods of Danville. The sun was not shining, the birds were not singing, and everything was in its proper place.

Well, except for the two boys scouting the area from within trashcans.

Once they deemed that the coast was clear, Phineas, Ferb, and Perry approached the dreary version of their 1st dimension home. But just as they reached the doorstep, Phineas paused and looked back at the platypus.

"Uh, you might want to..." he stopped, trying to come up with the right words. "I mean, these guys might not know you're not really a … you know."

Perry looked down, suddenly realizing the current state he was in. Giving an embarrassed grin in apology, he removed his hat, got down on all fours, and slid his eyesout of focus. Then he chattered in what the boys had once thought was the noise of an unintelligent creature.

Phineas and Ferb looked to each other hesitantly before resuming their stares at the undercover agent. Neither taking their eyes from their pet, Phineas warily drew his finger closer and closer to the doorbell. He removed his gaze for the briefest moment in order to actually press the button, but then it instantly returned to the previous spot, afraid that Perry may have sprouted wings in the millisecond that his eyes had been trained elsewhere.

They were admitted inside by a 2nd dimension Linda Flynn-Fletcher, who despite being an exact replica of their real mother seemed nearly unrecognizable in her gray overalls and anxious expression. After she left to go cower in the basement, the boys followed a series of sounds coming from the living room.

"Pick a Doofopoly Instruction Card," came a very familiar voice. Upon entering the room, Phineas and Ferb found _another _Phineas and Ferb, playing a board game.

"'Conform'," the crew-cut bearing Phineas read from the card. "Hey, I can do that."

Abandoning all ideas of any sort of negative reactions from their counterparts from suddenly coming upon a pair identical to themselves, Phineas stepped into the room.

"Hey guys!" he called out, as if greeting some old friends. Which, technically speaking, they were.

The other Phineas, however, did not give a similarly cheerful response.

"Oh no, they're replacing us!" he cried as he ducked behind the couch. "I must not have conformed quick enough."

The 1st dimension Phineas was in the middle of explaining the situation when he was interrupted by his look-alike suddenly crying out "Perry!"

He raced over to the platypus and pulled him into a hug. "Where have you been? We've missed you so much."

"Uh, Phineas?" his twin explained awkwardly. "He's not your Perry. He came with us."

"Oh sorry," the boy said, his disappointment evident. "Wait, can I hold him a little longer?" Then he held the pet all the tighter.

Ferb did not cry. He was just sweating out of his eyes.

For the first time, he became very aware of the other tall, green-haired figure sitting beside him. If he knew himself at all, then the other Ferb would be... sweating out of his eyes as well. He pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to him, right as his counterpart did the same.

As the two Phineas' discussed the 2nd dimension Perry's disappearance (he could tell that his Phineas was biting back a response that would relay the information he had on the former platypus' whereabouts), Ferb reflected on his recent observations.

Although there were several noticeable differences between those of the two dimensions, there were also many similarities. This led Ferb to conclude that the corresponding pairs possessed the same basic character, but different circumstances forced them to develop in different ways.

Ferb snapped out of his thoughts when he realized the topic had turned to summer, which the 2nd dimension boys had never experienced.

"Summer," said the 2nd Phineas, as if trying the word out for the first time. "It sounds dangerous, yet oddly compelling. What is it?"

"What is summer?" his partner replied. "Man, where do I begin?"

And thus the 1st dimension boys burst forth into a full-fledged musical number explaining all the wonders of the season, their counterparts eventually joining in. For reasons Ferb could never understand, they and anyone who came into contact with them always had a tendency to do that.

After the song, Phineas launched into a list of all the incredible things they had done over the vacation. But the boy paused mid-sentence when he realized a certain platypus was not among them.

"You are kidding me," Phineas stated as he and Ferb caught the fedora-clad Perry about to leave the house. "You're sneaking away again?"

All of Phineas' previous resentment resurfaced itself in only a moment's notice. "So nothing's changed. Did it ever occur to you that we could help you, that we could've made a great team? Well I guess you can't have teamwork without trust."

Perry's head lowered submissively, but Phineas didn't stop there.

"You don't have to sneak away anymore," Phineas said. "We know you're secret; you can just go."

Ferb could have prevented the platypus from walking dejectedly from the house, but he simply stood there. Because if he was honest with himself, Ferb was just as upset as his brother.

On account of the continuous looming danger they had been in up to this point, Ferb had pushed away all the confusion he had about Perry's secret life so he could focus on, you know, living to see the next day. He was a man of action, after all.

But since all that was over and done with, he was free to dwell on what he felt about the discovery. And there was only one word to describe it: betrayal.

He knew that it was the common practice of secret agents to keep their occupations hidden from the general public, but they were his _family. _Surely he could've at least told _them _about it.

But while Ferb was a man of action, he was also a man of reason. And from what little data he had gathered on Perry's new found personality, it was clear that he would not hide such a thing from his owners unless he truly had a good reason.

Unfortunately, in this world anger overcomes logic all too often.

So the two boys watched their pet disappear from sight as, falling in line with the most cliché of plots, it began to rain.

"You know," Phineas commented sadly. "I used to think you couldn't spell platypus without 'us'." Then he turned and walked back into the house.

Just before shutting the door, both literally and psychologically, Ferb added to no one in particular, "Well you can, but it would just be 'platyp'."

Because even though it may be possible to do so, it will never be completely whole again.


	4. Chapter 4

Ferb skidded to a stop from atop the giant mechanical bull he and his brother had created only a few weeks before. Littered all around him were the demolished remains of the robots that had threatened to harm his pet.

In the time span of about three hours since the boys' fight with Perry, they had joined forces with the Resistance, met up with their sister Candace, rescued Perry from the clutches of the 2nd dimension Doofenshmirtz, sorta made amends with the other Doofenshmirtz, traveled back to their own home, discovered that Perry had been making copies of everything the boys had done over the summer and keeping them in his secret lair, and were now taking part in the ultimate battle of the dimensions to save the tri-state area. Needless to say, they've had a pretty busy day.

On the opposite end of the street, Phineas held out a hand to Perry, offering him a seat on the humungous robotic dog he was currently riding. The platypus leaped onto the dog's head, which launched him straight into his owner's arms.

"So I guess you trusted us after all," Phineas said once the two broke from their embrace.

Ferb looked away.

He chose to focus instead on the countless number of incredible inventions, lined up and ready for battle. He couldn't help but swell a little with pride at them all. Although the design of these things came from Phineas, the actual concrete contraptions themselves- those were all Ferb's.

"Alright everyone," Phineas announced. "Let's go kick some robot chassis!"

And so the war between a rag-tag group of kids and a full army of menacing robots commenced. Every one of their friends put one hundred percent of themselves into the fight, but the machines just kept on coming.

"Ferb!" Phineas suddenly called out. "We going to try and stop the portal!"

In no time he and Perry were nothing but a distant dot atop the skyscraper they had been on just that morning, leaving Ferb all alone.

Ferb hadn't failed to notice how the whole day seemed to revolve around them two. He had observed Phineas' development from anger to excitement over the revelation of the secret agent, Perry's hurt expressions and loving hugs directed at the redhead, both rarely sending either a word or glance toward Ferb's way...

_Get a hold of yourself, _Ferb chastised himself. _They're just doing their job; now go do yours._

So Ferb did his part by leading the battle on the ground. But that still didn't stop him from giving a furtive glimpse now and then at Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated.

But apparently it wasn't furtive enough to escape the notice of a certain pink-bowed young girl.

"Ferb, we can handle it down here," Isabella Garcia-Shapiro cried as she tucked herself into a roll to avoid the carcass of a fallen robot. "Go help Phineas!"

He didn't need to be told twice. The man of action raced into the nearest hardware store, grabbed two plungers, ejected himself from the Platypult and latched onto the side of the building, all in record time.

As Ferb began the long trek up to the roof, he allowed his mind to run wild. And the most frequent train of thought that passed through it was all the things that people underestimate about him. For example, his relationship with Isabella.

Not many know how close the two truly are, hitting it off as soon as she had moved across the street several years before. But everyone was always sidetracked by the impending romance between Isabella and his brother to pay Ferb any mind. In actuality, Ferb shared a level of trust with the girl that was only succeeded by Phineas, while Isabella loved one brother just as much as she did the other, but simply in different ways.

Ferb pulled himself back to the matter at hand, focusing on the steady sound of the plucking plungers that were helping him climb the skyscraper. There was no need to dwell on personal issues when something needed to be done.

That's when it began raining robots. Ferb paused a moment to take in the sight of the lifeless devices falling to the earth. Add that to the list of things to tell his grandchildren some day.

Ferb quickly scaled the last few feet of the building, flipping over onto the platform for dramatic purposes. Once there he found himself surrounded by obvious signs of a scuffle, most notably the broken shards of the satellite dish that had formerly controlled the mechanical army.

"Ferb, bro!" Phineas exclaimed. "I just hit the best home run ever!"

Ferb could only give a halfhearted thumb's up. He was too late.

But at that very moment the floor opened up, and a humungous, robotic version of the 2nd dimension Doofenshmirtz rose to the surface.

"Now, tremble before me!" came the man's voice. All three pairs of eyes stared upward at the intimidating piece of machinery.

"No, no, I'm down here."

The robot raised its arm to reveal the scarred Doofenshmirtz himself, controlling the robot from one of the sleeves.

Despite the predicament they were now in, hope swelled up in Ferb's chest. Maybe he wasn't too late after all. Maybe he could still prove that just because he doesn't talk doesn't mean he's not important, too.

"Hope you've got tour 3-D glasses," said the evil scientist as his robot self swung his arm back. "'Cause I'm coming at ya!"

As the trio grabbed one another for support while the arm shot toward them, two thoughts played in Ferb's head over and over again:

They were going to die. And there was nothing Ferb could do to stop it.

"Hey!" came a voice abruptly.

The arm halted mere inches from its target.

"What?" an irritated 2nd Doofenshmirtz asked his look-alike. "I'm kinda in the middle of something here."

"I got a little something just for you," the 1st Doofenshmirtz replied, pulling something out of his lab coat. "Here!"

When the doctor displayed a golden toy train, Ferb was pretty sure he could here church choirs playing in the background.

"Choo Choo!" the other Doofenshmirtz said joyously. Then in an act completely contrary to the attitude displayed just moments before, he leaped out of the machine, grabbed the train, and began rubbing it soothingly along his cheek.

"Oh, heart melting... back story resolving... evil diminishing."

Ferb didn't even bother wondering what that was all about. This day had yet to produce a scenario that made any amount of sense.

Just as the 2nd Doofenshmirtz left their dimension in handcuffs, the rest of their Resistance friends entered it to say their good-byes. Ferb didn't pay much attention, though; he was preoccupied with a terrible feeling of self-disappointment gnawing at his insides.

Being both the older brother of Phineas (only by a few months, but he needed at least _some _degree of superiority over the chatty boy) and a co-owner of Perry, Ferb possessed a sense of duty to protect them. And what did he do when his charges were in danger? Nothing.

It's times like these when Ferb feels more useless than Perry in pet form.

"Man, this has been the greatest day ever," Phineas remarked as the portal closed behind their alternate selves. "Imagine how much fun we can have together now that we know you're a secret agent!"

"Yes, yes, the next fifteen minutes should be a real hoot," said a man with a mono-brow who had randomly appeared from behind. For some reason, he looked oddly familiar.

"Then, of course, Agent P will be sent away forever."

Upon seeing all the faces of pure shock, the man proceeded to explain that no one was safe now that Perry's cover was blown, and therefore he must be relocated immediately.

Ferb mentally slapped himself for not figuring this out sooner. Had all those hours spent watching spy movies been for nothing?

But then the officer's assistant suggested using the Amnesia-inator, an invention of Doofenshmirtz's which, as the name suggested, wipes the memory of its target.

"So our choice is to either forget the best day ever, forget the greatest adventure we've ever had, and forget meeting Agent P," Phineas stated. "Or remember today, but never see Perry again?"

Ferb decided that he ought to have a say. For apart from building, the occasional one-liner appeared to be all that he's good for.

"Well, we've had a lot of great days. But we only have one Perry."

"Yeah," came the collective of everyone involved in the robot fight (when did they all get here, anyway?).

As everyone filed out of the building to head toward the OWCA Headquarters, Ferb reflected that perhaps it was fitting that he doesn't get the spotlight very often. Maybe he didn't deserve it.

**One chapter left. Thanks to everyone who reviewed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, here ya go! Hope you guys enjoy this final installment as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)**

The location of Perry's employers was situated in a spot just outside of Danville, surprisingly visible for a secret association. Then again, they called themselves the Organization Without a Cool Acronym and relied solely on animal power, yet they were still standing; whatever they were doing, they were doing it right.

While everyone else dealt with constraining a rebellious Doofenshmirtz, Ferb decided to slip quietly into the next room so he could think clearly.

It's not like he blamed Phineas for anything. He was just being who he was: a likeable, imaginative talker who naturally drew attention to himself. It wasn't his fault that his brother felt left out at times.

But what could he do about it? Ferb had never been much into speaking; he craved those moments of silence when all that could be heard were the pounding of tools transforming ordinary pieces of plywood or metal into whatever insane invention they happened to have devoted themselves to that day.

It was an obvious, undeniable fact: Ferb was not Phineas. But if he really wanted to start being noticed, maybe he needed to act a bit more like him.

Just then the door slid open, and Perry entered the room. Ferb could still faintly make out noises of the struggles between Doofenshmirtz and his adversaries, so he knew it was not yet time have his memory wiped. Then what was Perry doing here?

The platypus slowly ambled over to Ferb and sat down beside him. Not a sound was made between either of them, but there was no need to. Neither tend to express themselves, Perry because he can't and Ferb because he won't, with words; both the human and the semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal speak through action.

Perry turned to his owner and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him, asking what he had been doing here all by himself.

As everyone is already aware of, Ferb usually keeps both words and emotions to himself. So it came as a surprise to both sides of the silent conversation when he locked gazes with Perry, his wide eyes filled with a million statements colliding together at once.

Ferb transferred every burden he had been carrying upon his shoulders through the day into that one look: how he felt so insignificant when compared to Phineas, how felt like no one cared about what he was thinking, how he felt that he just wasn't good enough.

And somehow, Perry understood every word.

It was the pet who broke the intense stare at last as he undid his collar for the second time that day. But unlike last time, he did not hand it to Phineas, but to Ferb.

At first, the boy simply stared at the trinket it confusion. But then he remembered what he and his brother had recently discovered about it: the locket containing all their pictures doubled as a homing device that led to Perry's secret lair.

Ferb recalled reading somewhere that in the case of amnesia, finding something linked to the lost memories can trigger them into returning to the person's mind.

An image suddenly flashed before Ferb's eyes of when they had been superheroes for a day. He remembered his brother having an immensely difficult time lying to Isabella in order to maintain their secret identity. Had they stayed with the girl but a moment longer, Ferb was certain that he would have succumbed.

That's just how Phineas was: good, innocent, and honest to a fault. He had never been able to keep a secret.

As he carefully pocketed the collar, Ferb looked at Perry again. What met his eyes was total and utter trust in him, and him alone. They both knew that Ferb wouldn't say a word.

For he doesn't say anything in the first place.

The two returned just as the others were finishing with tying up Doofenshmirtz.

Phineas and Ferb approached Perry in order to say their good-byes. But it was more for the former's sake, since it wouldn't truly be good-bye for the latter. Even so, it felt good to have the platypus in his arms and, for the first time, to have the embrace returned.

"Okay sir, we're ready," said Phineas. But when they went on their way to confront the menacing machine, the redhead's wringing hands and nervous face told Ferb that he was anything but.

As the entire group faced front, Ferb gave his brother a small nudge. Phineas looked to his green-haired sibling, who gave him the tiniest of smiles. But it appeared to be enough for Phineas, for the fidgeting soon ceased.

As the brothers turned to the contraption once again, Ferb's eyes fell upon the platypus standing behind it. Perry, too, seemed rather distraught over his owners having to go through this for him, but the moment he glanced at Ferb, his expression changed to one of reassurance. It suddenly occurred to the boy that the agent made the previous arrangements not just for Ferb, but himself as well. Maybe he wanted someone he could relate all his work experiences to.

Now Ferb didn't just feel trusted. He felt _needed_.

For once in his life, he couldn't keep his expressions in check. Ferb felt his mouth curl upwards into a full-out grin as the Amnesia-inator powered up, the ray that shot out from it cleansing his mind of any recollections of that day.

But not for long.


End file.
